S. 640: Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act

This bill proposes several amendments aimed at correcting technical issues in previous legislation related to water rights and management for Native American tribes in Northwestern New Mexico. Here is a summary of the key provisions:

Amendments to Funding and Interest Payments

The bill specifically addresses three major funds related to water resources:

• Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund: The bill authorizes adjusted interest payments, allowing for an addition of approximately $6.36 million to the Trust Fund.
• Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund: It proposes an adjustment for the Taos Pueblo that grants approximately $7.79 million to be deposited into their water development fund.
• Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund: The legislation allows for around $4.31 million to be appropriated for the costs associated with operating, maintaining, and replacing water facilities within the pueblos.

Waivers and Conditions

The bill includes provisions that waive certain payments owed to the United States related to interest earned before a specified date in 2017. This is aimed at easing financial burdens for the Native American tribes involved.

No Changes to Previous Findings

Importantly, the bill contains disclaimers indicating that it does not affect previous findings regarding the satisfaction of specific conditions set forth in earlier acts. This means that while the bill authorizes new payments, it does not alter the validity of past assertions about compliance with those foundational requirements.

Overall Purpose

Ultimately, the goal of the bill is to ensure that the financial provisions related to water rights settlements for these Native American tribes are appropriately funded and adjusted to reflect necessary technical corrections.

Relevant Companies

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